Week Twenty Seven in Review (Mar. 21 - Mar. 25)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students learned a new song entitled My Little Boat this week. This song was used to practice steady beat, fast/slow and loud/quiet. First, students pretended to row a their boat at different speeds and in different ways. Then students were shown how to make the sound of wind on a hand drum (you can do this by gently rubbing the tips of your finger over the drum head). At the end of the song, students took turns creating the wind. If the teacher's hands were close together, the students created quiet wind. If the teacher's hands moved far apart, then the students created loud wind. Not only were students practicing loud and quiet, they were also taking cues from a conductor! Students also reviewed songs Wishy Washy Wee and Who Took a Piece of My Pumpkin Pie.

First grade students reviewed their new melodic note la this week. Students reviewed the placement of la on the music staff and discussed its relationship to the notes sol and mi. Students played a singing game called poison pattern in which they had to echo all patterns sang by the teacher except for the 'poison' pattern. Students were incredibly successful at silencing themselves during the poison pattern! Students also practiced reading quarter notes, quarter rests, and eighth notes. Students learned a series of five rhythm flashcards. Then copies of these cards were spread out all around the classroom. After Mrs. Aaronson played one of the rhythms on the recorder, the students had to search for and locate a flashcard which contained the correct rhythm.

This student has found the correct rhythm flashcard and is pointing to it using his shoe.

Second grade students practiced hearing the difference between sol mi and the new low note do by responding with hand movements as those notes were played on the xylophone. Students also learned a new song entitled Apple Tree. This song will be used to help students learn the melodic note do. Students reviewed the song No One in the House and practiced singing and performing body percussion at different speeds. Students added triangles and woodblocks to the song Who's That. Next week, students will discover the half notes in this song and add xylophones.

Third grade students learned a new note this week: low sol! Students discovered the location of this new note in the song Chatter with the Angels. In addition to finding this new note in the song, students learned a patting/clapping/snapping/stamping pattern that corresponded with the song's words and rhythms. Students also began learning a new song entitled Chicken on a Fence Post. This song contains a very fun racing game in which two 'farmers' race to reach the chicken in the center of two circles of students. This song will later be used to reinforce the new note low sol. Additionally, students searched for three-beat notes (dotted half notes) in the song My Country 'Tis of Thee. After finding these notes, students discovered that a half note can be tied to a quarter note to equal three beats.

Fourth grade students primarily focused on string instruments this week. Students were introduced to the four main orchestral string instruments: the violin, the viola, the cello, and the string bass. Students learned about the different parts of these instruments through a non-fiction book entitled What in the World is a Violin. Students also learned about how these instruments are made by watching a video clip from a Mister Roger's episode. Students  learned about electric string instruments and the differences between electric and traditional instruments. Lastly, students learned about the role of the conductor. Students were able to experience conducting basics by following along on the 'conduct' page of the San Francisco Orchestra Kids' website.

Fifth grade students enjoyed a popcorn party in recognition of all of their hard work on Annie Kids. While eating their treat, students watched the first 30 minutes of a video entitled Stomp Out Loud. This video features percussionists making music with wide range of everyday objects including brooms, kitchen utensils, and basketballs.